Tuesday, 31 August 2010

Eleven minutes away from going downstairs and finding the room the readthrough of my Doctor Who episode is in. No, I'm not nervous. Why would you think that I'm nervous? I always do this with my hands. You just haven't noticed before.

Unfortunately the Beeb has decided against commissioning a series of Pulse, the blood strewn horror pilot that aired on BBC3.

BBC 3 controllor Danny Cohen in Edinburgh commented: "The decision about which series to commission was not determined solely by audience numbers. BBC3 looks hard at Appreciation Index responses, how good they thought a series might be. Pulse got an okay AI. There's a range of reasons. It's about which one you think creatively - instinctively - has the most mileage."

Shame really as horror doesn't really get much showing and another genre show on telly suits me fine.

Also bad luck for writer Paul Cornell, Who writer and on a current exclusive contract with DC Comics, who was very pleased with the ratings for the pilot - and with around 300,00 for each showing who can blame him.

Actually with those sort of ratings, I wonder why the Beeb ditched this - after all Being Human got 430,000 for its pilot?

Update: Although one genre series hasn't made it, apparently Touch has -

The series will be written by Jack Thorne, whose past work includes Skins and Channel 4 mockumentary Cast Offs. It will follow Paul, an awkward young man who can interact with ghosts and soon uncovers a war between the living and the dead and the programme will begin filming next year.

With the season starting this Saturday coupled with the inevitable boredom of the Autumn internationals - I'm sorry maybe it's just me but can we get back to proper test series or ditch the Autumn internationals completely? - I have found out that The Batman appears to be an England fan!

By which I mean things that at the time you wouldn't think would be a problem...

Stereos - My 6-yr-old daughter has appropriated the portable CD player on which she plays her CDs that includes the whole listen with mother stuff that was around when I was her age as well as more sophisticated fare as Angelina's guide to classical music.

Not bad, an appreciation of decent music and rhythm is good for language and brain...

...

However, after the eighth play of 'The Wombles of Wimbledon' at 6 in the morning you begin to twitch a bit..

to the extent that you begin to hear the oboe at the start and you shiver

I tell you I'll be in a padded cell with a jacket soon, imagining Uncle Bulgaria, Tobomore and the rest surrounding me singing: 'Do do do de do, do de do do do dod do...'

Sunday, 29 August 2010

The BBC and Steven Moffat have announced today that the transmission of the next series of Doctor Who, in 2011, will be split into two blocks, transmitting in spring and autumn.

The split transmission is the result of a request from Steven Moffat to write a new Doctor Who story arc which involves a big plot twist in the middle of the series. By splitting the series Moffat plans to give viewers one of the most exciting Doctor Who cliffhangers and plot twists ever, leaving them waiting, on the edge of their seats, until the autumn to find out what happens.

Steven Moffat said: "The split series is hugely exciting because viewers will be treated to two premieres, two finales and more event episodes. For the kids it will never be more than a few months to the next Doctor Who! Easter, Autumn, Christmas!!"

A few thoughts:

Yay, Doctor Who back on when the nights come in

Boo, having a split season with a wait in the middle

Does this mean that Matt Smith has honoured his contract a year early?

The one thing that really worries me is that the need for a big cliffhanger will result in the over-the-topness leading to a point of silliness!